RMS St Helena

The 1989-built RMS Saint Helena is one of the world’s last operational “Royal Mail Ships” (RMS), the most famous of which is Cunard’s RMS Queen Mary 2. She was purpose-built as a combined cargo-passenger vessel to supply St Helena Island, a remote British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean located approximately 1,200 mi (~1,900 km) off the coast of Africa.

The current shipowner is listed as RPTD SOLD UNDISCLOSED INTEREST. In July 2025, it was announced that the vessel had been long-term chartered to the new travel brand “Terra Nova Expeditions.” Established by Greg Carter (co-founder of Chimu Adventures), the Australian company plans to commence Antarctic voyages during the winter 2026–2027 season.

The vessel is currently Djibouti-flagged (MMSI 621819108). During her ferry service (1990–2017) under the ownership of St Helena Line Ltd, she was UK-flagged (MMSI 232669000) and registered in London.

The ship previously operated a regular service departing approximately every three weeks from Cape Town (South Africa), transporting passengers and supplies to Saint Helena Island before continuing north to Ascension Island. Under the “ferry cruise” schedule, passengers were required to remain on St Helena Island for a minimum of eight nights.

This arrangement changed when Saint Helena Island opened its first international airport in June 2016, enabling direct flights from Britain and South Africa. The new air link led to the retirement of the Royal Mail Ship and marked a major shift for the island. According to UK Government estimates, up to 30,000 visitors per year could reach Saint Helena Island by air. The first commercial passenger flight arrived on October 14, 2017.

The voyage originally intended to be RMS St Helena’s final sailing began on June 16, 2016, from the UK and concluded on July 15 in Cape Town. As part of the farewell journey, Royal Mail organized a letter exchange between pupils from St Helena Island and Cardiff. However, due to delays in the airport’s opening, the ship’s service was extended on an interim basis through July 2017.

Shipboard facilities

By design, RMS St Helena was equipped to carry a wide range of cargo, including liquid supplies, to meet the needs of the island’s population. Initially, she accommodated 128 passengers and featured public facilities such as lounges, a shop, a swimming pool, and a well-equipped infirmary staffed by a resident physician.

During a drydock refurbishment in 2012, passenger capacity was increased from 128 to 156 with the addition of 24 extra berths, and a gym/fitness room was installed.

The drydock refurbishment in 2025 (a USD 10.8 million project) transformed the former cargo-passenger vessel into an ice-strengthened (Ice Class 1C) expedition cruise ship.

Following the conversion, maximum passenger capacity was reduced from 156 to 98.

Newly introduced modern amenities include a science laboratory and VR (virtual reality) headsets designed to help reduce seasickness.

The vessel has 4 passenger decks (3 with cabins) and a total of 56 staterooms.